Compare Whole House Water Filters

have made a great move to protect your long-term health by providing filtered water and the best water quality throughout your entire home. Purchasing a filter can be an easy process if you know which features matter most. It’s all about educating yourself on the different types of equipment available and making the selection that best meets your needs. We have provided this as a resource to equip you with the information necessary to make the right choice.

The systems detailed below are intended for use on treated municipal water. If you have well water, it is recommended you seek the advice of a well water specialist that can assist you with your unique situation.

If you need assistance finding a system to meet your needs, see below the 8 Things to Consider When Buying a Whole House Water Filtration System below.

* Overall Best Value determined by the systems that has the most effective filtration of key contaminants, a low 5-year overall cost of the system, the best performance guarantee, and is environmentally friendly.
All prices as of 8/2011

8 Things You Must Consider Before You Purchase a Whole House Water Filtration System:

Question 1: What does your municipality use to treat/disinfect your water – chlorine or chloramines?  And some are now using both.

Not all whole house water filtration systems will filter both chlorine and chloramines.  You need to find out whether your municipality is using one or the other.  If you buy a system that only takes care of chlorine, you will be out of luck if your provider actually uses chloramines now or switches to chloramines in the future.  A chloramine-specific filter will also address chlorine, so you can err on the side of caution and get a chloramine filter.  Many municipalities are starting to alternate between chlorine and chloramines, so its best to purchase a water filter that will filter both disinfectants.

Question 2: Does the system remove heavy metals?

Heavy metals including lead, mercury, copper, nickel, and chromium are commonly found in city water. Carbon-based filters alone cannot remove them. Using a treatment system that utilizes KDF55 media is a great way to remove heavy metals at the whole house level. The human body has no tolerance for heavy metals and heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged or reduced mental and central nervous function, lower energy levels, and damage to blood composition, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs.

Question 3:  Does the system require a backwash that will waste water and electricity?
Systems that only use loose carbon will need to be back-washed several times a week – wasting water and electricity.  Look for environmentally friendly systems that combine carbon with KDF55 in an up-flow design that eliminates the need to backwash.  This will save you money and help the environment at the same time.

Question 4: How long will the system perform and what are the maintenance requirements?

Expected performance will vary by manufacturer.  Be sure to check how frequently the media will need to be changed.  A minimum of 5 years is recommended.  You might also want to look for a system that does not require a complete tank change – why create more waste than needed?  Find a system where the media can be extracted from the tank and the media replaced.

Also, if there is a pre-filter (for sediment), what is the expected life and how often should it be changed?  What is the cost of the replacements?  It is recommended to have a pre-filter as it will greatly enhance the performance of the system.  What is the micron rating on the pre-filter?  You want the finest filtration available that will not impact your flow rate.

Question 5: Do you have Hard Water?

Filtering your water will do nothing to address hardness issues. You will need an additional softener or an all-in-one unit that will address hard water as well as filtration.  We like Foreversoftsolution.com.  It’s a maintenance-free hard water magnet that will address your hard water problems with the hassles of a softener, salt, electricity or maintenance.

Question 6: What is the Warranty?

Warranties are important when choosing a treatment system.  A 1-year warranty on tanks and parts is not sufficient; there should be a structural warranty of at least 10 years.

Question 7: How Large is Your Home and How Many People Live in Your Home?

The size of your home and water usage levels will determine the size water filter you will need.  A larger home needs a larger system – or you will not be happy with your water pressure.  Don’t skimp on the size!

Question 8: How hard is installation?   Can you do it yourself or do you need a Plumber?

If you’re handy with plumbing, you should be able to install the system yourself.  If not, factor in the cost of the plumber when tallying your total expense.

Keeping these 8 important factors in mind when purchasing a whole house water filter will ensure that you’ll be happy with your whole house water filtration system for years to come.

For more detailed information on the purchase of the best whole house water filter for you, request this free report now, “The 7 Questions You Must Ask Before You Buy a Water Filter System.”